登陆注册
5382900000492

第492章

The woman whom the count had seen leave the ship with so much regret entered this house; she had scarcely closed the door after her when Monte Cristo appeared at the corner of a street, so that he found and lost her again almost at the same instant.The worn out steps were old acquaintances of his; he knew better than any one else how to open that weather-beaten door with the large headed nail which served to raise the latch within.He entered without knocking, or giving any other intimation of his presence, as if he had been a friend or the master of the place.At the end of a passage paved with bricks, was a little garden, bathed in sunshine, and rich in warmth and light.In this garden Mercedes had found, at the place indicated by the count, the sum of money which he, through a sense of delicacy, had described as having been placed there twenty-four years previously.The trees of the garden were easily seen from the steps of the street-door.Monte Cristo, on stepping into the house, heard a sigh that was almost a deep sob; he looked in the direction whence it came, and there under an arbor of Virginia jessamine,* with its thick foliage and beautiful long purple flowers, he saw Mercedes seated, with her head bowed, and weeping bitterly.She had raised her veil, and with her face hidden by her hands was giving free scope to the sighs and tears which had been so long restrained by the presence of her son.Monte Cristo advanced a few steps, which were heard on the gravel.Mercedes raised her head, and uttered a cry of terror on beholding a man before her.

* The Carolina -- not Virginia -- jessamine, gelsemium sempervirens (properly speaking not a jessamine at all) has yellow blossoms.The reference is no doubt to the Wistaria frutescens.-- Ed.

"Madame," said the count, "it is no longer in my power to restore you to happiness, but I offer you consolation; will you deign to accept it as coming from a friend?""I am, indeed, most wretched," replied Mercedes."Alone in the world, I had but my son, and he has left me!""He possesses a noble heart, madame," replied the count, "and he has acted rightly.He feels that every man owes a tribute to his country; some contribute their talents, others their industry; these devote their blood, those their nightly labors, to the same cause.Had he remained with you, his life must have become a hateful burden, nor would he have participated in your griefs.He will increase in strength and honor by struggling with adversity, which he will convert into prosperity.Leave him to build up the future for you, and I venture to say you will confide it to safe hands.""Oh," replied the wretched woman, mournfully shaking her head, "the prosperity of which you speak, and which, from the bottom of my heart, I pray God in his mercy to grant him, I can never enjoy.The bitter cup of adversity has been drained by me to the very dregs, and I feel that the grave is not far distant.You have acted kindly, count, in bringing me back to the place where I have enjoyed so much bliss.I ought to meet death on the same spot where happiness was once all my own.""Alas," said Monte Cristo, "your words sear and embitter my heart, the more so as you have every reason to hate me.Ihave been the cause of all your misfortunes; but why do you pity, instead of blaming me? You render me still more unhappy" --"Hate you, blame you -- you, Edmond! Hate, reproach, the man that has spared my son's life! For was it not your fatal and sanguinary intention to destroy that son of whom M.de Morcerf was so proud? Oh, look at me closely, and discover if you can even the semblance of a reproach in me." The count looked up and fixed his eyes on Mercedes, who arose partly from her seat and extended both her hands towards him."Oh, look at me," continued she, with a feeling of profound melancholy, "my eyes no longer dazzle by their brilliancy, for the time has long fled since I used to smile on Edmond Dantes, who anxiously looked out for me from the window of yonder garret, then inhabited by his old father.

Years of grief have created an abyss between those days and the present.I neither reproach you nor hate you, my friend.

Oh, no, Edmond, it is myself that I blame, myself that Ihate! Oh, miserable creature that I am!" cried she, clasping her hands, and raising her eyes to heaven."I once possessed piety, innocence, and love, the three ingredients of the happiness of angels, and now what am I?" Monte Cristo approached her, and silently took her hand."No," said she, withdrawing it gently -- "no, my friend, touch me not.You have spared me, yet of all those who have fallen under your vengeance I was the most guilty.They were influenced by hatred, by avarice, and by self-love; but I was base, and for want of courage acted against my judgment.Nay, do not press my hand, Edmond; you are thinking, I am sure, of some kind speech to console me, but do not utter it to me, reserve it for others more worthy of your kindness.See"(and she exposed her face completely to view) -- "see, misfortune has silvered my hair, my eyes have shed so many tears that they are encircled by a rim of purple, and my brow is wrinkled.You, Edmond, on the contrary, -- you are still young, handsome, dignified; it is because you have had faith; because you have had strength, because you have had trust in God, and God has sustained you.But as for me, Ihave been a coward; I have denied God and he has abandoned me."Mercedes burst into tears; her woman's heart was breaking under its load of memories.Monte Cristo took her hand and imprinted a kiss on it; but she herself felt that it was a kiss of no greater warmth than he would have bestowed on the hand of some marble statue of a saint."It often happens,"continued she, "that a first fault destroys the prospects of a whole life.I believed you dead; why did I survive you?

同类推荐
  • 经学历史

    经学历史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 送僧澄观

    送僧澄观

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清史稿

    清史稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 喜无可上人游山回

    喜无可上人游山回

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 显扬圣教论

    显扬圣教论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 邪少狂妻:逆天嫡女

    邪少狂妻:逆天嫡女

    上一世,她一心为了天下苍生,却被冠以祸事妖星之名,死于平生挚爱之手。这一世,她是顶尖世家唯一的嫡女,本以为能得到幸福,可等着她的却是宠妾灭妻的父亲,冷血势利的家族。污蔑诋毁,用刑追杀,最后被逼得跳崖求生……哼,且看浴火重生的她,如何坐拥第一杀手组织,炼得了绝品丹药,布得出惊世阵法,搅动大陆风云!
  • 落寞夕阳

    落寞夕阳

    如果不是亲眼所见,你很难相信这是现实版的中国农村,也很难承认,在当下我国农村,拥有如此庞大的留守老人群体。农村留守老人是我国由传统的农业社会向现代化的工业社会转变过程中急剧扩大的群体。随着社会的发展,城市化步伐日益加快,大量青壮年农民进城务工,子女和老人在迁移时间上的错位,以及相当一部分老人对原居住地的留恋,养老载体和对象在时空上发生了巨大变化,跨省流动越来越多,离家时间越来越长,导致越来越多的农村留守老人独守空巢。
  • 绝品御灵师

    绝品御灵师

    天才降临,神功大成!他从山上来,扫尽世间不平!!!!!
  • 宇情有染

    宇情有染

    爱,多少人对因它迷茫。亦如他们的后知后觉,在感觉到因为彼此,甚至连呼吸都会痛时,才理解何为真爱。江染,一个不相信爱情,更不相信男人的高冷女子。是他,让自己懂得了爱,即使不能一生相伴,也要带着的那份对他的爱坚强的走下去。楼天宇,霸道专制,只因为她,学会了如何去爱,即使要付出生命,也要决然的爱下去……
  • 吞天战皇

    吞天战皇

    谁拳头够硬,就由谁说了算的异界,喜欢彰显个性的纨绔子弟太多,王恺实在没有办法,只能抡起沙包大的拳头,教教他们做人的道理。
  • 九八·共和国一号黑社会要案

    九八·共和国一号黑社会要案

    二〇〇〇年九月十九日,吉林省长春市。这一天,也许将永远记录在吉林省和长春市的历史上:轰动全国的梁笑溟(又名梁旭东)黑社会犯罪团伙案,由长春市中级人民法院一审完毕后,经吉林省高级人民法院终审裁定,驳回上诉,维持原封,立即对黑社会团伙“老大”粱旭东等七名主要案犯执行死刑。由于案情重大,这起附带近千万元的民事赔偿的案件,经过长达一个月的审理,八月二十六日,随着那长达二百五十六页的判决书和审判长六个小时的宣判,终于作出了一审判决,披着刑事警察外衣的“老大”梁旭东和其他六名主要成员,被判处死刑,其他二十九名成员分别被判处无期徒刑和有期徒刑。
  • 六王爷的小狂妃

    六王爷的小狂妃

    【冷血暴戾男VS呆萌腹黑女,男女主1v1】檀馨儿穿越了,随手还救了只王爷。那家伙却恩将仇报,“这世上碰过本王身子的人都死了,你要生还是要死?”这不废话么,人生美好,当然要生啦。“很好,给本王生个儿子就饶了你!”他他他,偷换概念……可是三年之后,身边都多了三只小捣蛋了,那家伙为什么还不肯放过自己?檀馨儿强烈抗议,“凌墨寒,你言而无信,还是不是男人?”“本王是不是男人宝贝心中还没数吗?”某人强行将她禁锢在怀里,“乖,有生之年,一年生一个,本王决不食言!”檀馨儿欲哭无泪……PS:架空背景,谢绝考据!
  • 望古神话之蜀山异闻录

    望古神话之蜀山异闻录

    蜀山、血魔,传说中的剑仙游侠世界,却与现实世界有着千丝万缕的联系,青年张羽在朋友消失之后,知道世界之外,还有许多平行世界,因果牵连,导致主世界遭到反噬。为了拯救朋友,张羽毅然进入蜀山界,开始了自己的修行之路。
  • 捧月奇遇记

    捧月奇遇记

    失落少女李紫沁穿越时空之门,逃亡修仙的过程带着个宝贝却又当成石头,所谓情路坎坷,修仙坎坷…………
  • 赤子天涯

    赤子天涯

    家逢变故的王伯昭被大宋隐世名将周侗所救,学得一身本事走下山门,同结义兄弟投身到大将呼延灼麾下,据守雁门,北抗辽国。辽国琼嘉公主貌美如花,女中英雄,战场上同王伯昭一见钟情,宋辽有别的他们是如何缔结鸳盟的?但他们的结合却只是故事的开始而不是结束。王云天—王伯昭与琼嘉公主之子,辽国灭亡后流落大宋的他会有怎样的人生经历?与父亲结义兄弟的子女之间又有怎样的纠葛?面对私仇国恨,血脉亲情,旧时红颜他又将如何对待?金国侵宋,武林不安,这中间又交织着怎样的矛盾纠纷?看“赤子天涯”,阅一代传奇。